CHAPTER XXXII.

CHAPTER XXXII.

_Spring;—spinning;—salt mine._

I can hardly describe our joy when, after many tedious and gloomy

weeks of rain, the sky began to brighten, the sun to dart its

benign rays on the humid earth, the winds to be lulled, and the

state of the air became mild and serene. We issued from our dreary

hovels with joyful shouts, and walked round our habitation breathing

the enlivening balmy ether, while our eyes were regaled with

the beauteous verdure beginning to shoot forth on every side.

Reviving nature opened her arms, every creature seemed reanimated,

and we felt the genial influence of that glorious luminary which

had been so long concealed from our sight, now returned like

a friend who has been absent, to bring us back blessings and

delight. We rapidly forgot in new sensations the embarrasments

and weary hours of the wet season, and with jocund, hopeful hearts,

looked forward to the toils of summer as enviable amusements.

The vegetation of our plantation of trees was rapidly advancing;

the seed we had thrown into the ground was sprouting in slender

blades that waved luxuriantly; a pleasing tender foliage adorned

the trees; the earth was enamelled with an infinite variety of

flowers, whose agreeable tints diversified the verdure of the

meadows. Odorous exhalations were diffused through the atmosphere;

the song of birds was heard around; they were seen between the

leaves joyfully fluttering from branch to branch; their various

forms and brilliant plumage heightened this delightful picture

of the most beautiful spring, and we were at once struck with

wonder and penetrated with gratitude towards the Creator of so

many beauties. Under these impressions we celebrated the ensuing

Sunday in the open air, and with stronger emotions of piety than

we had hitherto felt on the fertile shores upon which we had

been so miraculously saved and fostered. The blessings which

surrounded us were ample compensation for some uneasy moments

which had occasionally intervened, and our hearts, filled with

fresh zeal, were resolved to be resigned, if it should be the

will of God, to pass the residue of our days in this solitude

with serenity of soul and every due exertion. The force of paternal

feelings, no doubt, made me sometimes form other wishes for my

children; but these I buried in my own breast, for fear of disturbing

their tranquillity: but if I secretly indulged a desire for some

event that might prolong and even increase their happiness, I

nevertheless wholly submitted all to the Divine will, the

manifestation of which I awaited in becoming thankfulness and

patience.

Our summer occupations commenced by arranging and thoroughly

cleaning Falcon’s Nest, the order and neatness of which the rain

and dead leaves blown by the wind had disturbed: in other respects,

however, it was not injured, and in a few days we rendered it

completely fit for our reception; the stairs were cleared, the

rooms between the roots re-occupied, and we were left with leisure

to proceed to other employments. My wife lost not a moment in

resuming the process of her flax concern. Our sons hastened to

lead the cattle to the fresh pastures, already dried by the sun;

whilst it was my task to carry the bundles of flax into the open

air, whereby heaping stones together I contrived an oven sufficiently

commodious to dry it well. The same evening we all set to work

to peel, and afterwards to beat it and strip off the bark, and

lastly to comb it with my carding machine, which fully answered

the purpose. I took this somewhat laborious task on myself, and

drew out such distaffs full of long soft flax ready for spinning,

that my enraptured wife ran to embrace me, to express her heartfelt

acknowledgement, requesting me to make her a wheel without delay,

that she might enter upon her favourite work.

At an earlier period of my life I had practised turnery for my

amusement; now, however, I was unfortunately destitute of the

requisite utensils; but as I had not forgotten the arrangement

and component parts of a spinning-wheel and reel, I by repeated

endeavours found means to accomplish those two machines to her

satisfaction; and she fell so eagerly to spinning, as to allow

herself no leisure even for a walk, and scarcely time to dress

our dinners: nothing so much delighted her as to be left with

her little boy, whom she employed to reel as fast as she could

spin, and sometimes the other three were also engaged in turns

at the wheel, to forward her business whilst she was occupied

in culinary offices; but not one of them was found so tractable

as the cool-tempered quiet Ernest, who preferred this to more

laborous exertions, though such was our want of linen and clothes,

that we ought all readily and even eagerly to have joined in

procuring them; but our excursions, and the necessary liberty

they involved, were more agreeable to us than this female occupation.

Our first visit was to Tent-House, as we were anxious to ascertain

the ravages of winter there, and we found them much more considerable

than at Falcon’s Stream, and even dreadful: the tempest and rain

had beaten down the tent, carried away a part of the sail-cloth,

and made such havoc amongst our provisions, that by far the largest

portion of them was spotted with mildew, and the remainder could

be only saved by drying them instantly. Luckily, our handsome

pinnace had been for the most part spared; it was still at anchor,

ready to serve us in case of need; but our tub-boat was in too

shattered a state to be of any further service.

In looking over the stores we were grieved to find the gunpowder

most damaged, of which I had left three barrels in the tent instead

of placing them in a more sheltered situation in the cavity of

the rock. The contents of two were rendered wholly useless. I

thought myself fortunate on finding the remaining one in tolerable

condition, and derived from this great and irreparable loss a

cogent motive to fix upon winter quarters where our stores and

wealth would not be exposed to such cruel dilapidations.

Notwithstanding the gigantic plan suggested by the enterprising

characters of Fritz and Jack, I had little hope of being able

to effect the excavation of a dwelling in the side of the rock.

Robinson Crusoe is supposed to have found a spacious cavern that

merely required arrangement; no such cavity was apparent in our

rock, which bore the aspect of primitive existence, and was of

extreme hardness; so that with our limited powers, three or four

summers would scarcely suffice to execute the design. Still,

the earnest desire of a more substantial habitation to defend

us from the elements, perplexed me incessantly, and I resolved

to make at least the attempt of cutting out a recess that should

contain the gunpowder, the most valuable of all our treasures; by

which means it would be secured against injury from the vicissitudes

of the weather. With this resolution I set off one day, accompanied

by my two valiant workmen Fritz and Jack, leaving their mother

at her spinning with her assistants Ernest and Francis. We took

with us pickaxes, chisels, hammers, and iron levers, to try

what impression we could make on the rock. I chose a part nearly

perpendicular, and much better situated than our tent: the view

from it was enchanting; for it embraced the whole range of Safety

Bay, the banks of Jackal’s Stream and Family Bridge, and many

of the picturesque projections of the rocks. I marked out with

charcoal the circumference of the opening we wished to make,

and we began the heavy toil of piercing the quarry. We made so

little progress the first day, that in spite of all our courage

we were tempted to relinquish the undertaking; we persevered

however, and my hope was somewhat revived as I perceived the

stone was of a softer texture as we penetrated deeper: we concluded

from this, that the ardent rays of the sun striking upon the

rock had hardened the external layer, and that the stone within

would increase in softness as we advanced, and we admitted a

ray of hope that the substance would prove to be a species of

calcareous stone. When I had cut about a foot in depth, we could

loosen it with the spade like dried mud; this determined me to

proceed with double ardour, and my boys assisted me in the task

with a zeal beyond their years.

After a few days of assiduous labour we measured the opening,

and found we had already advanced seven feet into the rock. Fritz

removed the fragments in a barrow, and discharged them in a line

before the place to form a sort of terrace; I applied my own

labour to the upper part to enlarge the aperture; Jack, the smallest

of the three, was able to get in and cut away below. He had with

him a long iron bar sharpened at the end, which he drove in with

a hammer to loosen a large piece; suddenly he bawled out: It

is pierced through, father! Fritz, I have pierced it through!

Hah, hah, master Jack at his jokes again!—But let us hear, what

have you pierced? Is it the mountain? Not peradventure your hand

or foot, Jack? cried I:

_Jack._—No, no, it is the mountain; (the rocks resounding with

his usual shout of joy) huzza, huzza, I have pierced the mountain!

Fritz now ran to him. Come, let us see then; it is no doubt the

globe at least you have pierced, said he, in a bantering tone:

you should have pushed on your tool boldly, till you reached

Europe, which they say is under our feet; I should have been

glad to peep into that hole.

_Jack._—Well, then, peep you may, I can assure you, but I hardly

know what you will see; now come and look how far the iron is

gone in, and tell me if it is all my boasting;—if there were

not a hollow space behind, how could it penetrate the rock so

easily?

Come hither, father, said Fritz, this is really extraordinary;

his iron bar seems to have got to a hollow place; see, it can

be moved in every direction. I approached, thinking the incident

worth attention: I took hold of the bar, which was still in the

rock, and pressing it forcibly from one side to another, I made

a sufficient aperture for one of my sons to pass, and I observed

that in reality the rubbish fell within the cavity, the extent

of which I could not ascertain, but I judged from the falling

of the stones that it was not much deeper than the part we stood

on. My two lads offered to go in together and examine it: this,

however, I firmly opposed: I even made them remove from the opening,

as I smelled the mephitic air that issued abundantly from it,

and began myself to feel giddiness in consequence of having gone

too near; so that I was compelled to withdraw quickly, and inhale

a purer air. Beware, my dear children, said I in terror, of entering

such a perilous cavern; life might be suddenly extinguished there.

_Jack._—What, lose our lives, father! do you think then it contains

lions or tigers? Only give me a gun, and let me speak a word

to them.

_Fritz._—How can you think such animals could live there? Father

may indeed fear that it is inhabited by serpents or vipers.

_Jack._—And what should hinder us, pray, from killing serpents

and vipers?

I admire, said I, your courage, my brave Jack, but it shall not

be tried on this occasion. Neither lions, serpents, nor men are

there, yet the danger still exists: how would my young hero acquit

himself, when on entering the aperture he should feel his respiration

totally cease?

_Jack._—Not be able to breathe! and why not?

_Fritz._—Because the air is mephitic, that is, foul, and therefore

unfit for breathing in, and those who are exposed to it must

of course be suffocated. But in what manner, father, is this

air corrupted?

_Father._—In different ways: for example, when it is replete

with noxious vapours, or when it contains too many igneous or

inflammable particles, or when it is too heavy or dense, as fixed

air is; but in general, when it merely loses its elasticity,

it no longer passes freely into the lungs; respiration is then

stopped, and suffocation speedily ensues, because air is

indispensable to life and the circulation of the blood.

_Jack._—Then all to be done is to be off quickly when one feels

a stoppage of breath.

_Father._—This is certainly the natural course when it can be

taken; but the attack usually begins by a vertigo or dizziness

of the head, so violent as to intercept motion, which is followed

by an insurmountable oppression; efforts are made to breathe,

fainting follows, and without speedy help, a sudden death takes

place.

_Fritz._—What assistance can be administered?

_Father._—The first thing to be done is to remove the person

so affected to pure fresh air, and to throw cold water over his

body; he must then be well dried, and afterwards rubbed with

warm cloths; vital air must be infused, or tobacco-smoke thrown

up; in short, he must be treated like a drowned person till signs

of re-animation appear, which is not always the result.

_Fritz._—But why do you think, father, the air in this cavern

is mephitic, as you term it, or dangerous to breathe in?

_Father._—All air confined and wholly separated from that of

the atmosphere, gradually loses its elasticity, and can no longer

pass through the lungs: in this state it generates injurious

qualities that interrupt the process of respiration. It is in

this act that the atmospheric air diffused around us, unites

intimately with the blood, to which it communicates one of its

most essential parts, called vital air, for without it life cannot

be supported. This air failing, respiration ceases, and death

succeeds in a few minutes: the consequence is similar when this

air is impregnated too abundantly with injurious parts.

_Fritz._—And by what is good air known? How judge that one may

respire freely at a few paces from this mephitic cave?

_Father._—This becomes evident when inspiration and expiration

are performed with ease; besides, there is an infallible test: fire

does not burn in foul air, yet it is made the means of correcting

it. We must light a fire of sufficient strength in this hole

to purify the air within, and render it friendly to respiration:

at first the bad air will extinguish the fire, but by degrees

the fire in its turn will expel the bad air and burn freely.

_Fritz._—Oh! if that is all, it is an easy matter. As soon as

the foul air is out, we can make a huge opening, and walk about

in the whole interior as if it were a level plain. The boys now

hastened to gather some dry grass, which they made into bundles;

they then struck a light, and set fire to them, and threw the

moss blazing into the opening; but, as I had described, the fire

was extinguished at the very entrance, thus proving that the

air within was highly mephitic. I now saw that it was to be rarefied

by another and more effectual method; I recollected opportunely,

that we had brought from the vessel a chest which had belonged

to the artificer, and had put it by in the tent, and that it

was full of granadoes and rockets, of which and other fire-works

a number had been shipped for the purpose of making signals as

well as for amusement. I sought this chest hastily, and took

out of it some of the most requisite materials, and an iron mortar

for the purpose of throwing them into the hollow: with these

I speedily returned to attack with my artillery the aërial demons:

I threw the whole in, with a train that extended to where we

stood, and thus ignited the space. A general explosion took place,

and an awful report reverberated through the dark recess; the

granadoes flew about on all sides like brilliant meteors; we

hurled them back to the extremity of the cavern, they rebounded

and burst with a terrific sound. We then sent in the rockets,

which had also a full effect; they hissed in the cavity like

flying dragons, disclosing to our astonished view its vast extent.

We beheld too, as we thought, numerous dazzling bodies that sparkled

suddenly, as if by magic, and disappeared with the rapidity of

lightning, leaving the place wrapped in the most profound obscurity.

A squib bursting in the form of a star presented a spectacle

we wished to be prolonged. On its separating, a crowd of little

winged genii came forth, each holding a small lighted lamp, and

the whole fluttering in every direction with a thousand varied

reverberations: every thing in the cavern shone brilliantly,

and offered instantly a truly enchanting sight; but they dropped

in succession, fell to the ground without noise, and vanished

like æthereal spirits.

After having played off our fire-works, I tried lighted straw:

to our great satisfaction, the bundles thrown in were entirely

consumed; we could then reasonably hope nothing was to be feared

from the air; but there still remained the danger of plunging

into some abyss, or of meeting with a body of water: from these

considerations I deemed it more prudent to defer our entrance

into this unknown recess till we had lights to guide us through

it. I dispatched Jack on the buffalo to Falcon’s Stream, to impart

our discovery to his mother and two brothers, directing him to

return with them, and bring all the tapers that were left: my

intention was to fasten them together on a stick, and form therewith

a large torch, and thus illuminated, proceed with our whole troop

to examine the interior of this grotto. I had not sent Jack on

his embassy without a meaning; the boy possessed from nature

a lively and poetical imagination: I knew he would tell his mother

such wonders of the enchanted grotto, of the fire-works, and

all they had brought to our view, that in spite of the charms

of her spinning-wheel he would induce her to accompany him without

delay, and bring us lights to penetrate the obscure sanctuary.

Overjoyed at his commission, Jack sprang on the buffalo, which

he had nearly appropriated to himself, gaily smacked his whip,

and set off so boldly that I almost trembled for his safety.

The rash intrepid boy was unincumbered by fear, and made a complete

race-horse of his horned Bucephalus.

In waiting his coming back, I proposed to Fritz to widen the

entrance to the subterraneous grotto, to remove the rubbish,

and make a way for his mother to pass in easily. After labouring

three or four hours we saw them coming up in our car of state,—the

one I had equipped for the potatoes,—and which was now drawn

by the cow and the ass, and conducted by Ernest. Francis too

played his part in the cavalcade, and contended with his brother

for the ropes that served as reins. Jack, mounted on his buffalo,

came prancing before them, blew through his closed hand in imitation

of a French horn, and now and then whipped the ass and cow to

quicken their motion. When they had crossed Family Bridge, he

came forward on the gallop; and when he got up to us, jumped

off the beast, shook himself, took a spring or two from the ground,

and thus refreshed, ran up to the car to hand his mother out

like a true and gallant knight.

I immediately lighted my torches; but instead of tying them together

as I had intended, I preferred each taking one in his right hand,

an implement in his left in case of accident, a taper in his

pocket, flint and steel; and thus we entered the rock in solemn

procession. I took the lead, my sons followed me, and their beloved

mother with the youngest brought up the rear, her interest and

curiosity not unalloyed with tender apprehensions; and indeed

I felt myself that sort of fear which an unknown object is apt

to excite: even our dogs that accompanied us betrayed some timidity,

and did not run before as usual; but we had scarcely advanced

four paces within the grotto, when all was changed to more than

admiration and surprise. The most beautiful and magnificent spectacle

presented itself. The sides of the cavern sparkled like diamonds,

the light from our six tapers was reflected from all parts, and

had the effect of a grand illumination. Innumerable crystals of every

length and shape hung from the top of the vault, which, uniting

with those of the sides, formed pillars, altars, entablatures,

and a variety of other figures, constituting the most splendid

masses. We might have fancied ourselves in the palace of a fairy,

or in an illumined temple. In some places all the colours of

the prism were emitted from the angles of the crystals, and gave

them the appearance of the finest precious stones. The waving

of the lights, their bright coruscations, dark points here and

there occurring, the dazzling lustre of others—the whole, in

short, delighted and enchanted the sight and the fancy.

The astonishment of my family was so great as to be almost ludicrous;

they were all in a kind of dumb stupor, half imagining it was

a dream: I had seen stalactites and read the description of the

famous grotto of Antiparos, far more considerable than this,

which, however, gave an idea of it. The bottom was level, covered

with a white and very fine sand, as if purposely strewed, and

so dry that I could not see the least mark of humidity anywhere.

All this led me to hope the spot would be healthy, convenient,

and eligible for our proposed residence.

I now formed a particular conjecture as to the nature of the

crystallizations shooting out on all sides, and especially from

the arch roof; they could scarcely be of that species of rock

crystals produced by the slow filtering of water falling in drops

and coagulating in succession, and seldom found in excavations

exhibiting so dry a nature, nor ever with so many of the crystals

perpendicular and perfectly smooth. I was impatient to evince

the truth or falsehood of my opinion by an experiment, and discovered

with great joy, on breaking a portion of one of them, that I

was in a grotto of sal gem, that is, fossil or rock salt[20],

found in the earth in solid crystallized masses, generally above

a bed of spar or gypsum, and surrounded by layers of fossils

or rock. The discovery of this fact, which no longer admitted

a doubt, pleased us all exceedingly. The shape of the crystals,

their little solidity, and finally their saline taste, were decisive

evidences.

How highly advantageous to us and our cattle was this superabundance

of salt, pure and ready to be shovelled out for use, and preferable

in all respects to what we collected on the shore, which required

to be refined!

My wife was charmed with my good fortune in having cut through

the rock at this spot. I observed, that in all probability the

mine extended a long way, and that I should have discovered salt

had I opened at any other part, though such a wonderful grotto

might not have been found every where.

Little Francis said to his brothers in a whisper, that it was

certainly the palace of some good fairy, who would come with

her wand and grant them every thing they wished for, if they

were good. Well then, said Jack, I ask her to make you a little

wiser and less credulous; don’t you hear father say all these

diamonds are only salt? and how often has he told you that God

alone does wonders? The dear child said no more, but shook his

pretty fair locks as if he gave up his enchanted palace with

some reluctance; and to say the truth, his notion did not surprise

me. As we advanced in the grotto, remarkable figures formed by

the saline matter every where presented themselves; columns reaching

from the bottom to the top of the vault appeared to sustain it,

and some even had cornices and capitals: here and there undulating

masses which at certain distances resembled the sea. From the

variegated and whimsical forms we beheld, fancy might make a

thousand creations at its pleasure; windows, large open cupboards,

benches, church ornaments, grotesque figures of men and animals;

some like polished crystals or diamonds, others like blocks of

alabaster.

We viewed with unwearied curiosity this repository of wonders,

and we had all lighted our second taper, when I observed on the

ground in some places a number of crystal fragments that seemed

to have fallen off from the upper part. Such a separation might

recur and expose us to danger; a piece falling on any of our

heads might prove instantly fatal: but on closer inspection I

was convinced they had not dropped of themselves spontaneously;

the whole mass was too solid for fragments of that size to have

been so detached from it; and had dampness loosened them they

would have dissolved gradually: I rationally concluded they were

broken off by the explosion of our artillery and fire-works,

that had caused a violent concussion in this subterraneous palace.

However, I thought it prudent to retire, as other loosened pieces

might unexpectedly fall on us. I directed my wife and three of

the children to place themselves in the entrance, while Fritz

and I carefully examined every part that threatened danger. We

loaded our guns with ball and fired them in the centre of the

cavern, to be more fully assured of what produced the separation

of the former pieces; one or two more fell, the rest remained

immovable, though we went round with long poles and struck all

we could reach. We at length felt confident that in point of

solidity there was nothing to fear, and that we might proceed

to fit up our new habitation without dread of accident. Our joy

on this important discovery did not fully declare itself till

after these trials. Loud exclamations, mixed with numerously

varied questions, projects, consultations, now succeeded to our

mute astonishment! Many schemes were formed for converting this

beautiful grotto into a convenient and agreeable mansion for

our abode. All the force of our imagination was centred in that

point: the greatest difficulty was removed; we had possession

of the most eligible premises; the sole business now was to turn

them to the best account, and how to effect this was our unceasing

theme: some voted for our immediate establishment there, but

they were opposed by more sagacious counsel, and it was resolved

that Falcon’s Stream should continue to be our head quarters

till the end of the year.